Desk chairmats are well known in the art and typically include a substantially planar member of generally square, rectangular or other shape, with or without a lip extension portion adapted to be located in the well area of a desk. Typical chairmats for use on carpeted floors also include a plurality of spikes or cleats that anchor the chairmat and prevent drifting.
Foot massage mats are also known in the art, typically including relatively small, generally square, oval or rectangular mats of rubber or plastic construction, with an array of protuberances covering substantially the entire upper surface of the mat. Examples may be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,575,034; 5,158,073; and 4,329,981.
This invention advantageously combines a desk chairmat with a foot massage mat to permit persons sitting at a desk to massage the soles of the feet in, for example, an office or home office environment.
In one exemplary embodiment, the invention provides a desk chairmat that includes a planar member with four side edges and a lip extension projecting from the forward edge of the mat. The lip extension is formed with a recess, and a plurality of therapeutic nodules or protuberances projecting upwardly from the base of the recess, such that the protuberances or nodules do not extend substantially above the upper surface of the remainder of the chairmat. The nodules or protuberances are preferably of part-spherical shape but may have other shapes as well.
The chairmat is preferably of unitary construction, and is preferably made of a transparent or semi-transparent PVC, polypropylene, polycarbonate, or other suitable material.
It should be understood that the shape of the chairmat is not limited to square or rectangular and may include round, oval or other shapes. Moreover, the foot massage area may be included in an extended lip portion of the chairmat, or in a selected area within an otherwise regular peripheral border or edge of the chairmat.
Accordingly, in one aspect, the invention relates to a desk chairmat comprising a substantially planar member having an upper surface, a lower surface, and a peripheral edge; and a plurality of foot massage nodules projecting upwardly from a selected recessed area of the planar member.
In another aspect, the present invention relates to a desk chairmat comprising a substantially planar member having an upper surface, a lower surface, four side edges and a lip portion extending from one of the four side edges, the lip portion having a plurality of upwardly projecting foot massage nodules.
In another aspect, the invention relates to a desk chairmat comprising a substantially planar member having an upper surface, a lower surface, four side edges and a lip portion extending from one of the four side edges, the lip portion having a recess formed therein with a base surface surrounded by a peripheral wall; and a plurality of upwardly projecting nodules arranged throughout substantially the entirety of the recess.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the detailed description that follows in connection with the drawings as briefly described below.